Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 12

After the previous week's series of injury disasters at running back, Week 12 started quietly – the 1 p.m. games passed without any sort of calamity. Things got worse from there, though, with Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham both going down to knee injuries, a development that will land fantasy owners in a waiver-wire kerfuffle over tight ends. When you lose a guy like Gronk, there are no real answers. Graham has been an enormous disappointment, but that doesn't mean it's easy to replace him on the wire either. Let's see how their teams are dealing and what else is going on around the league.

Arizona RB: Chris Johnson hit the wall big-time in Week 12, churning out only 17 yards on 12 carries before leaving with a knee injury – quite concerning, considering he'd been limited with a knee issue in practice all week. He's headed for an MRI. Andre Ellington, too, departed Sunday's game with an injury, this one to his foot, the same issue that bothered him last year. That left some extra work for David Johnson, who ended up scoring a touchdown to go with his 29 total yards and will now have to take on a more featured role in this offense. He's probably the hottest pickup of the week.

Arizona WR: Despite facing a Niners defense that's been one of the most generous to opposing receivers this year, the Cards receiving crew didn't do much Sunday. Larry Fitzgerald stayed useful in PPR only by catching 10 balls for 66 yards and John Brown led the team with 99 yards on five grabs, but no one scored a touchdown through the air. J.J. Nelson stayed interesting with a couple nice grabs on five targets, totaling 53 yards, but Michael Floyd (hamstring) caught only one ball after missing the previous week's game.

Atlanta RB: Devonta Freeman's concussion kept him out of action in Week 12, but Tevin Coleman was mostly strong in his place, running 18 times for 110 yards but losing a fumble and failing to catch either of his pass targets. Terron Ward managed only 15 total yards on six touches in a backup role. One of the breakout stars of the season, Freeman is expected to return in time for Sunday's game against Tampa.

Atlanta WR: Roddy White actually was the Falcons' most-used receiver Sunday, leading the team with eight targets and six catches, though he finished with a modest 60 yards. Julio Jones actually gained four fewer yards, marking one of his quietest games of the year. Leonard Hankerson (hamstring) wasn't available.

Baltimore QB: We'll get our first look at Matt Schaub as the Ravens' starter Monday night with Joe Flacco (knee) done for the year. Can't wait, right?

Baltimore RB: After an inefficient, but nonetheless fantasy-relevant first week following Justin Forsett's broken arm, Javorius Allen gets a nice draw Monday night against a Cleveland team that's struggled to stop the run this year.

Buffalo WR: Sammy Watkins had perhaps his best game of the year Sunday with six catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns and, not coincidentally, did it in his first double-digit target game of the season. Robert Woods managed to gain only 25 yards on nine targets (three catches), and you can't count on him seeing that kind of workload with any consistency.

Carolina WR: The Panthers shredded Dallas on Thanksgiving, but the fact that they put up 33 points didn't help the Carolina receivers. The best among them was Jerricho Cotchery, who caught five balls for 73 yards. Devin Funchess returned to quietude in this one, grabbing just two passes for 19 yards on four targets and his looks remain too inconsistent for him to be trusted as a fantasy starter.

Chicago RB: Matt Forte did indeed come back from his knee issue Thursday, but in a non-ideal situation against the Packers. He split off a lot of work to Jeremy Langford, as Forte out-carried him only 15-12, with Langford running more efficiently and scoring the lone rushing touchdown. Langford even saw more targets in the pass game, 3-1, which is not a situation I see repeating itself moving forward. Another week removed from the injury, I'm looking for Forte to return to a full workload in Week 13 even though Langford mostly showed well as his fill-in.

Chicago WR: Alshon Jeffery (groin) made it back to the field for Thanksgiving, and he led the Bears in targets (11), catches (seven) and receiving yards (90), surprising no one. Marquess Wilson returned to a complementary role, catching four of five targets for 44 yards. Still no Eddie Royal (knee), who's missed four straight weeks now.

Chicago TE: Martellus Bennett sat out Thursday's game with a rib injury, and Zach Miller managed to catch a touchdown in his absence, though he only accompanied it with 10 yards.

Cincinnati RB: It was a Jeremy Hill game again Sunday, as the bruising back finished with 100 total yards (86 of them on his 16 carries) while Giovani Bernard managed a more modest 67 yards (with 51 of those coming on his two receptions). However, Hill left the game with an ankle injury, which was bad news for the Bengals, considering the 1.6 YPC they got out of Bernard. Fortunately, he seems to be fine and doesn't project to miss time.

Cincinnati TE: Tyler Eifert departed Sunday's game with a stinger, but seems like he'll be all right. The Bengals were probably just being cautious with a big lead. It seems unlikely that the Bengals would get much from Ryan Hewitt & Co. in his absence.

Cleveland QB: Johnny Manziel was going to be the starter here, but the Browns didn't like seeing photos of their second-year quarterback, who was in rehab for alcohol issues earlier this year, partying it up in an Austin bar during the bye week. They've dropped him to third on the chart and reinstated Josh McCown as the starter. The butterfingered McCown has put the ball on the ground six times in his last three games, with the Browns losing four of those fumbles.

Dallas QB: Tony Romo giveth, and Tony Romo taketh away. The stud quarterback threw three interceptions and got only part of the way through Thursday's game before re-breaking his collarbone. He's done for the year. Enjoy Matt Cassel, folks.

Dallas RB: Darren McFadden saw his nice run come to a screeching halt on Thanksgiving, as leading the Cowboys in both rushing and receiving was only good for 56 total yards and zero touchdowns. His rushing performance – 11 yards on 10 carries – was particularly ugly. McFadden came out healthy, though, so he should continue to control the majority of the carries, especially with no terribly promising young buck kicking around for Dallas to take a look at.

Denver QB: Brock Osweiler may not have put up the shiniest line Sunday night, but he only turned the ball over once and led the Broncos back from a 21-7 fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning (foot) is still weeks away from returning.

Denver RB: If you weren't cursing C.J. Anderson's name before, you might be now. Anderson's owners have dealt with horrendous production all year long, so it was a relatively easy call to bench him against New England on Sunday. Of course, he rewarded that decision by taking the majority of the touches (15 carries, four catches) from Ronnie Hillman (14 carries, one catch) and turning that into 153 yards and two touchdowns, including a 48-yarder to end the game in overtime. He's not exactly in the circle of trust, but with upcoming matchups against San Diego and Oakland, Anderson's certainly trending up.

Denver WR: Emmanuel Sanders got back on the field Sunday, which was good, 'cause the Broncos needed him. Demaryius Thomas set a new standard for futility by catching only one of 13 – thirteen! – targets with New England defenders playing smothering coverage, but Sanders caught six out of nine for an easily team-leading 113 yards. Andre Caldwell checked in with a four-yard touchdown grab, accounting for Brock Osweiler's lone score of the day.

Detroit RB: Thanksgiving was a bit of a better day for the Detroit running crew. Ameer Abdullah got a decent-sized workload (16 carries and a catch), notching 75 total yards, while Joique Bell produced 57 yards on just two catches and punched in a goal-line touchdown. Theo Riddick saw only two carries, but made his mark through the air, catching all five of his targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. This is pretty much the mix the Lions are looking for with their backs, with Abdullah as the carry hog, Bell for short yardage, and Riddick through the air.

Green Bay RB: Eddie Lacy's back, y'all. Sure, he lost a fumble, but Lacy still gashed the Bears for 105 yards on 17 carries Thursday, and he added four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. James Starks still factored in with 11 touches, but Lacy should be considered a legit RB1 the rest of the way unless he shows otherwise.

Green Bay WR: A week after James Jones went off for 109 yards on 11 targets, he came back with a big goose egg – six targets, no catches Thursday. Not much to be thankful for there. Davante Adams drew a ton of targets again, but stunningly managed to catch only two out of 11 for 14 yards, putting him in strong contention for the Demaryius Thomas Memorial Futility Award.

Houston QB: Brian Hoyer returned to the starting role and got off to a fine start Sunday, throwing two first-quarter touchdowns and looking like he was going to rock the awful New Orleans secondary for an out-of-nowhere big day… and then he remembered who he is, and proceeded to accumulate 134 yards, no touchdowns and an interception over the course of the next three quarters. But hey, he's the guy here.

Indianapolis QB: Andrew Luck expects to return sometime this season, but for now, it's Matt Hasselbeck's time. And hey, Hasselbeck did sharp work in Week 12 against Tampa, going 26-for-42 for 315 yards and two scores without a turnover.

Indianapolis RB: Indeed, Frank Gore came back from his knee injury, and he was just awful. But the Colts kept feeding him the ball, resulting in a hideous 19 carries for 24 yards. It's not like they had much choice. Ahmad Bradshaw touched the ball eight times and didn't do much before hurting his wrist and landing on IR, which means it's now Boom Herron or bust when it comes to backups for Gore.

Jacksonville WR: Allen Hurns had to be stretchered off Sunday after suffering a concussion, an ugly injury that once again makes me wonder how I can continue to feel enjoyment while watching this league. Allen Robinson had a bit of a down game – he scored a touchdown, but had just 56 yards on five catches (11 targets). Hurns seems likely to miss some time, so either Rashad Greene or Marqise Lee could see an expanded role in his absence, though it's questionable what they'll be able to do with it.

Kansas City RB: Charcandrick West (hamstring) sounded like a possibility to play for much of the week, but come Sunday, it was Spencer Ware occupying the backfield, and he delivered the goods again. Ware took 19 carries and turned them into 114 yards and a touchdown, though he didn't produce much in the pass game (three catches for one yard – yeah). I wonder if Chiefs fans are starting to get accustomed to life without Jamaal Charles now.

Miami RB: The Dolphins got absolutely nothing done on the ground against the Jets, so they took a page out of the Patriots playbook and pretty much passed on every play, as Ryan Tannehill threw the ball 58 times. Jay Ajayi led Miami in rushing with three carries for six yards, while Lamar Miller ran five times for two yards. Ajayi did get decently involved in the air game, gathering four of six targets for 52 yards.

Miami WR: We only saw it in fit and starts, but DeVante Parker got himself noticed Sunday, reeling in four catches (albeit on 10 targets) for 80 yards and a touchdown. All those numbers were easily his high-water marks so far in his rookie season. The Louisville product's athleticism is hard to miss, and he should only get better the rest of the way after a foot injury derailed his start to the season. Parker got the opportunity because Rishard Matthews left early with a rib injury. Meanwhile, Jarvis Landry blew up for a massive game (13 catches, 165 yards and a score). With all those targets to go around, Kenny Stills saw 10 of his own, but he caught only two passes for 12 yards. Greg Jennings was targeted just thrice, but he caught a five-yard touchdown, helping practically no one.

New England RB: Brandon Bolden saw intriguing involvement in the pass game Sunday night, catching all four of his targets for 84 yards and a score – 63 of that on one play, of course. James White was actually targeted more (five times), but produced… five yards through the air. LeGarrette Blount unsurprisingly took the vast majority of the few available carries, running nine times for a modest 27 yards.

New England WR: Last week, I asked, "How long until Danny Amendola gets hurt again?" The answer was, of course, "immediately." Amendola's knee injury, suffered last Monday night, kept him out of Sunday's game, but it's not impossible that he gets back next week. Of course, that'll just start the countdown to his next injury. Brandon LaFell didn't do anything with his big role in the offense Sunday, catching only four of nine targets for 36 yards, but he's a big-time breakout candidate entering next week's game against Philadelphia's reeling secondary.

New England TE: If you didn't already see it, go back and check out the look on Tom Brady's face when Rob Gronkowski went down with his knee injury Sunday night. "Who am I going to throw the damn ball to now?" is what that face says. Fortunately, the initial doom and gloom has given way to further evaluations, which found the injury not too serious. That's a big break for Gronk owners, but he could very well still sit out a game. In that event, Scott Chandler would probably see a ton of usage in the Patriots' super-depleted receiving corps. Actually, he saw a good amount even with Gronk healthy for most of Sunday's game, as Chandler led the team with 11 targets, catching five for 58 yards and a score.

New Orleans WR: In an atrocious day for Drew Brees and the Saints offense, Willie Snead and Brandin Cooks tied (with Mark Ingram) for the second-most targets on the team with eight (behind Ben Watson's nine), but no one did much. Snead was the leading wideout with 50 yards on four catches, while Cooks turned five grabs into only 35 yards and Marques Colston made 38 from his three. Gross all around.

New York Giants WR: This happened.

New York Giants TE: Will Tye owns the starting job here now with Larry Donnell done for the year, and he collected six balls on eight targets (second on the team only to Mr. Beckham) for 74 yards against Washington in Week 12. It looks like he could be a PPR asset moving forward.

New York Jets RB: Chris Ivory's officially back to full health, as Sunday's Beast Mode-style run (aided by some awful tackling, sure) will attest. He carried 21 times to Bilal Powell's six, and Powell managed only seven yards through the air despite five targets.

Oakland WR: As predicted last week, Amari Cooper came back with a big one Sunday, leading the team with seven catches on 12 targets for 115 yards. Undrafted rookie Seth Roberts came out of nowhere to finish right behind him with 113 yards of his own on six grabs, plus two touchdowns. He's been intriguing, but is still the third option at best here. Michael Crabtree managed only 19 yards on his four catches (eight targets), but did score a touchdown.

Philadelphia QB: Mark Sanchez's final line (19-for-27, 199 yards, two TDs, no interceptions) from Thursday looks solid, but this is one of those cases where stats don't tell the story. Sanchez and the Eagles offense were completely unable to keep up with the Lions, who shredded their secondary. Oh, and he lost a fumble. Not that Sam Bradford (concussion/shoulder) has been giving Philadelphia anything better than that when healthy, but he could well be back for Week 13, considering he's expected back at practice Tuesday.

Philadelphia RB: DeMarco Murray got completely shut down by the Lions on Thursday, getting 14 carries for 30 yards and no pass targets. Depressing. Darren Sproles was targeted six times in the pass game (the team high, no joke), but was quiet, catching four for 21 yards. Ryan Mathews (concussion) sat again. His return doesn't sound imminent, but concussion timelines are unpredictable.

Philadelphia TE: With no Zach Ertz (concussion) on the field, it seemed like Brent Celek was well on his way to a fine fantasy day after he scored early in the second quarter, but he was whisper-quiet thereafter, finishing with just two catches for 10 yards on four targets. Usual third-stringer Trey Burton caught both his targets for 49 yards for his first catches of the year, and the 43-yarder certainly got him noticed.

Pittsburgh QB: Ben Roethlisberger was removed from Sunday's game, but it appears he may have avoided the concussion it was feared he'd sustained. Landry Jones managed to throw two interceptions on four pass attempts in relief, which is impressive, but I think Big Ben will be out there in Week 13.

Pittsburgh WR: Markus Wheaton blew up for nine catches and 201 yards in Seattle on Sunday, an outcome that was hard to see coming, but makes good sense in retrospect as Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant (six for 51 and five for 69, respectively) had to deal with smothering coverage. All three were heavily targeted, with 12 for Brown, and 13 each for Wheaton and Bryant. We'll likely see Wheaton's usage fall off again. It's not that he wasn't good, but this seems like a situational stat line.

Pittsburgh TE: Heath Miller injured his ribs Sunday, but may not end up missing any time to it. Big rookie Jesse James would probably be the inheritor of the passing work if Miller does sit out.

San Diego WR: Ostensible No. 1 receiver Malcom Floyd (in the post-Keenan Allen portion of the season) was active Sunday, but had just a 12-yard catch on four targets. Steve Johnson and Dontrelle Inman were heavily used, with 10 and nine targets, respectively, and both scored touchdowns, while Johnson led the team in receiving with 92 yards. I like Inman a good bit, and Philip Rivers clearly isn't going to just stop throwing the ball in the absence of his top wideout.

San Francisco RB: Shaun Draughn carried the load again for the Niners in Week 12, rushing 15 times for a fairly modest 51 yards and catching all five of his targets for 35 more. Carlos Hyde (foot) remains highly questionable to play again at any point this year.

San Francisco TE: If you need a tight end, you may want to check out Vance McDonald – after all, Blaine Gabbert has to throw the ball to someone, and McDonald's scored TDs in consecutive weeks. He also notched six catches for 71 yards Sunday, so he's no one-trick pony.

Seattle RB: With Marshawn Lynch (abdomen) out for a matter of weeks, if not the rest of the season, Thomas Rawls continues to take over. He wasn't spectacular Sunday, but he was good enough for fantasy owners, running 21 times for 81 yards and a touchdown. Fred Jackson was barely a factor (one carry, two targets).

Seattle WR: Doug Baldwin's ankle appears to be just fine. The veteran wideout exploded for the best game of his career Sunday, catching six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn't alone – Jermaine Kearse found the end zone twice himself, while Tyler Lockett again looked explosive despite ending up with quite modest totals (three catches for 38 yards). These guys will be leaned on more moving forward thanks to…

Seattle TE: …no more Jimmy Graham this year. A torn patellar tendon ended his disappointing campaign Sunday, and just when he was having one of his better games, too. Look for Luke Willson's role in the offense to grow again.

St. Louis QB: Not that anyone really thinks Case Keenum (concussion) would have done a whole lot better, but Nick Foles did not respond terribly well to being pressed back into service in Week 12. Though he completed 30 of his 46 pass attempts, he threw for a modest 228 yards with no touchdowns and, oh yeah, three interceptions, one of which went the other way for a touchdown. Brutal. Keenum is expected to start when he's ready to return.

St. Louis RB: This won't change anything on the depth chart, but Todd Gurley caught the bug too Sunday. He had his worst game since arriving as the full-time ball-carrier earlier this year, rushing for only 19 yards on nine carries (plus 11 on his lone catch). His recent fade hadn't been terribly noticeable because until this game, he'd still been scoring touchdowns, but Gurley's now finished under 4.0 YPC for four straight games.

Tennessee RB: Antonio Andrews is still heading things up here even after putting up only 32 yards on 11 carries in Week 13. David Cobb carried the ball only three times, and I just don't get it. Why not use him in a featured role and see what he's got? After all, the Titans aren't going anywhere.

Washington RB: The 'Skins handed their backfield back to Alfred Morris on Sunday, and he grinded his way to 78 yards on 23 carries. Not impressive. Matt Jones was worse, though, with eight carries for 19 yards, but he did manage a 45-yard gain on what was bizarrely his only pass target of the day.

Washington TE: Not only did Jordan Reed not miss time with his knee injury, he came back to lead his team in targets (nine), catches (eight) and receiving yards (98) in Week 12. So he's all right.